The Steel Guitar Forum Store 

Post new topic How do I put a melody down ?
Reply to topic
Author Topic:  How do I put a melody down ?
richard burton


From:
Britain
Post  Posted 11 Nov 2010 11:55 am    
Reply with quote

Is it easy, or beyond my comprehension ?

At the moment I'm absolutely clueless.

All I know is that I have heard other BIAB projects that had a melody, so I know it can be done, but how ?
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

George Wixon

 

From:
Waterbury, CT USA
Post  Posted 11 Nov 2010 3:03 pm    
Reply with quote

Hi Richard,
http://gwixon.com/melody.html
This is a link to my web site and it will show you how to enter a melody step by step with screen shots and explinations. Keep in mind that I did this way back and have not updated the screen shots for the newer versions of BIAB, but it will get you going for entering in a melody by hand.
The newer versions of BIAB did away with the "N" key and replaced it with an icon that looks like a tic tac toe square. You still have to get into the editable notation window so once you click on the icon that looks like a single 1/8 note, you then click on the icon that looks like the tic tac toe pattern and that will put you in the editable notation window. The newer versions have a bit of a different screen layout but this will still give you the basics.
Another way get a melody in would be to record it using a midi keyboard.
Perhaps someone else could be of more help on recording the melody via a midi keyboard as I only enter the melody by hand.
George
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

richard burton


From:
Britain
Post  Posted 11 Nov 2010 10:47 pm    
Reply with quote

Hi George,
Thanks for directing me to your site.

I've just tried to follow your instructions, but have faltered very early on Sad

It's way over my head, unfortunately
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

jolynyk

 

From:
Prince Albert Sask. Canada
Post  Posted 12 Nov 2010 3:26 am    
Reply with quote

Richard don't quit.. I was as dumb as a bag of nails.. But with perseverance, & practice I ended up with some real nice tracks.. & made a CD with them.. George's site is awesome, & get Rick Campbells DVD to help you..
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Peter Lindsley


From:
United Kingdom
Post  Posted 14 Nov 2010 9:57 am    
Reply with quote

This ones easier than you think Richard.

1) You could take a midi file, that has the melody track that you want, and Select Import Chords from MIDI file in BIAB. Making sure that you have selected the the melody channel to import from to the BIAB Melody track (bottom left of pop out screen).

2) Having entered your backing track. You could record from your midi keyboard or midi guitar, to the melody track. Not got a midi Guitar/keyboard? you could borrow mine... Sorry the keyboard too big to loan out (none portable full size Yamaha Piano)Very Happy
atb
Pete
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Doug Beaumier


From:
Northampton, MA
Post  Posted 14 Nov 2010 10:22 am    
Reply with quote

Richard, you can tap in the notes for any melody you want using your computer's mouse. Just click on the Note icon on the BIAB screen, and then click on the little icon that shows a grid, and you will be in the note edit mode. Place the cursor on the line or space and beat where you want the note to appear, and click! The note will pop into place. You can move the notes, change the time value, add rests, do triplets, etc. I've done over 200 BIAB tunes with melody. Here are 60 of them: Click
_________________
My Site / My YouTube Channel
25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

Rick Schmidt


From:
Prescott AZ, USA
Post  Posted 26 Nov 2010 11:03 pm    
Reply with quote

Richard...you might want to look into one of these...

http://accessories.musiciansfriend.com/product/Sonuus-G2M-Universal-Guitar-To-MIDI-Converter?sku=580314&src=3WFRWXX&ZYXSEM=0&CAWELAID=298217742
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Dave Yustin

 

From:
Vermont, USA
Post  Posted 30 Nov 2010 11:53 am     Melody BIAB
Reply with quote

Richard/Doug
I just tried Doug's method, as I've been wrestling with how to edit my drum tracks. Many of the pre- programmed drums have too many cymbals and drum rolls.
It works. Click on the double note icon, them click the letter at the top of the grid to choose which instrument or section you're using. (Or click M for melody)
And Richard, thanks again for some advice you provided to me awhile back on tuning my pull release Marlen. I've got it figured out now, it was worth every minute.
Dave Yustin
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

Doug Beaumier


From:
Northampton, MA
Post  Posted 30 Nov 2010 6:03 pm    
Reply with quote

Dave, I have tried editing the bass parts in BIAB, but the program does not save the edits. Never tried editing drums. After editing the bass... I save the song, close it, and and when I reopen the song my edited parts are gone. The bass goes back to it's original defaults for that style. The only edited notes that my BIAB remembers are Melody notes. A couple of times I composed bass parts on the Melody track, transposed them down two octaves and chose a Bass voice to play that "low melody" which was actually a new bass part... and I muted the original bass part. It worked great. And because BIAB "remembers" edited melodies that part was saved.
_________________
My Site / My YouTube Channel
25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

George Wixon

 

From:
Waterbury, CT USA
Post  Posted 2 Dec 2010 5:47 pm    
Reply with quote

Doug,
The reason you had a problem with your edited pattern going back to the way it was is because you need to save the pattern as a new style, not the song.
You can edit any instrument patterns of a midi style to the way you want them to be but you have to save the new edits to that style as a new style. Once you have saved them as a new style everything will work as you want it to.
http://gwixon.com/pat.html
This is a link on how to edit the bass part in a style in BIAB.
My site also has a section on how to edit drum patterns.
George
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

Doug Beaumier


From:
Northampton, MA
Post  Posted 2 Dec 2010 10:12 pm    
Reply with quote

That's excellent, George. Thanks for that info. Cool
_________________
My Site / My YouTube Channel
25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

Dave Yustin

 

From:
Vermont, USA
Post  Posted 3 Dec 2010 7:26 pm     Editing BIAB
Reply with quote

Maybe I learned something here. I'll try a drum track and save it as a style to see if it works. My backing tracks sound good except for the cymbals and rolls--And turning em off completely doesn't sound quite right. All I need are brushes or a light beat.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail


All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Jump to:  

Our Online Catalog
Strings, CDs, instruction,
steel guitars & accessories

www.SteelGuitarShopper.com

Please review our Forum Rules and Policies

Steel Guitar Forum LLC
PO Box 237
Mount Horeb, WI 53572 USA


Click Here to Send a Donation

Email admin@steelguitarforum.com for technical support.


BIAB Styles
Ray Price Shuffles for
Band-in-a-Box

by Jim Baron
HTTP